How to Grow Salvias: The Complete Salvia Flower Guide (2024)

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All salvias do best infull sun (6-8 hours of sunlight per day) and well-drained soil. Many varieties (typically those with light-colored flowers) will also do well in part-shade, but flowering will bereduced.

When to PlantSalvia

• Direct-sow salvia seed outdoors after all danger of frost has passedin the spring. See local frost dates.

How to PlantSalvia

• Loosen the soil to a depth of 12 inches, removing any large stones or roots. Mix in a 3-inch layer of compostto providenutrients.
• If planting in a container, add somegrit to the compost to improve drainage and feed in spring. Plants grown in garden soil don’t needfeeding.
• Dig a hole twice the diameter of the container the plant isin.
• Remove the plant from its container and place it in the hole so the top of the root ball is level with the soilsurface.
• Space plants 1 to 3 feet apart, depending on thevariety.
• Carefully fill in around the plant and firm the soilgently.
• Waterthoroughly.

• Add a 2-inch layer ofmulch around the plant to retain moisture and controlweeds.
• Water plants during the summer if rainfall is less than 1 inch per week.Salvia does not like excessive summerirrigation.
• Feed container plants in the spring. Plants grown in a garden bed really don’t need feeding during theseason.
• To encourage continuous blooms throughout the season, deadhead spent flowersperiodically.
• At the end of the season, leave flowers on plants to encourage reseeding (and to feed thebirds).
• Somedevelop woody lower stems with age; feel free to prunethis.
• After the first killing frost, cut stems back to 1 or 2 inches above the soilline.
• Divide perennial salvias every few years. The best time to divide is in early springbefore new growth begins. Just lift, divide into clumps, andreplant.
• Every spring,apply a new thick layer of compost and mulchagain.

PropagatingSalvia

For the adventurous gardener, salvia cuttings can be taken in the spring or earlyfall.

Some salvias often self-propagate, so you might find seedlings you can use in other parts of yourlandscape!

Before flower buds have developed, take cuttings (remove stems) from vegetative (non-flowering) branches that are about 3 to 5 inches long. Remove the lower leaves and trim each cutting just below a node (a node is where a leaf emerges from astem).

Insert cuttings into a pot of pre-watered compost.Cover the pot with a clear plastic bag—try to avoid the bag touching thefoliage.

Place cuttings in a spot with indirect light.After three weeks, cuttings should be ready to poton.

Part of the mint family (Lamiaceae), the genus Salvia includes about 960 species; many of the tender perennials are grown as annuals in cold regions. Depending on the variety, plants can be 18 inches to 5 feet tall, but many are suitable for containers,too.

These common salvias are usually grown as annuals; they may be grown as perennials in warmerregions:

• Pineapple sage (Salvia elegans): Mexico/Guatemala native; bright red, edible flowers in late summer; leaves emit a fruity fragrance when crushed; up to 4 feet tall; hardy in Zones 8 andup
• Scarlet or Texas sage (S. coccinea): bright red flowers; hardy in Zones 9 and higher; 1 to 3 feettall
• Scarlet bedding sage (S. splendens): Brazilian native; flowers can be red, purple, orange, lavender, yellow, or white; heart-shaped leaves; up to 2 feettall

These salvias are usually grown asperennials:

• Autumn sage (S. greggii): blooms from spring to frost in a rainbow of colors; disease-free and drought-tolerant; 2- to 3-foot-tall moundingform
• Hybrid sage (S. x superba): ideal for cold areas; rosy purple blooms in late spring to early summer; rebloom to fall if faded flowers are cut back; 1 to 2 feet tall; ‘Rose Queen’ bears pinkflowers
• Pitcher sage (S. azurea var. grandiflora), aka “blue sage”: aromatic foliage; large, sky-blue flowers in late fall; 3- to 5-foot clumpingform
• Peruvian sage (S. discolor): native to Peru; leaves are gray-green on the top, with white undersides; dark purple flowers; spreading, floppy form; 1 to 3 feettall

Catherine Boeckmann